Oxygen mask



Aug. 4, 1953 E. BARACH OXYGEN MASK Filed Nov. 23, 1951 ATTORNEYs Patented Aug. 4, 1953 oxrGEN MASK Edmund Barach, Ridgefield, 001111., assighor to 0. E. M. Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Application November 23, 1951, Serial No. 257,865

This invention relates to oxygen masks, more particularly of the type to supply a mixture of air and oxygen to the user.

It is among the objects of the invention to provide an oxygen mask that is light in weight, compact with but few parts that may readily be fabricated at low cost, and which may feed a predetermined mixture of air and oxygen to the user without need for expensive metering valves and which may be used with any standard oxygen tank having only a conventional oxygen regulator thereon to give the desired mixture.

According to the invention these objects are accomplished by the arrangement and combination of elements hereinafter described and particularly recited in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings in which is shown one of various possible embodiments of the several features of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a front elevational View of the oxygen mask, and

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof taken along line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawings, the oxygen mask which illustratively is of the non-rebreather type, desirably comprises a substantially rigid face piece II preferably formed from any suitable plastic. The face piece II is designed to cover the nose and mouth of the user in conventional manner so that the upper portion I2 thereof rests on the bridge of the nose and the lower rear edge I3 thereof rests against the chin. The face piece I I is desirably retained in position by means of a head band I4 designed to pass around the head of the user, said head band desirably being affixed at its ends to the side edges of the face piece as by rivets I5.

Desirably located in the front wall I6 of the face piece II is an expiratory flutter valve II, which may comprise a substantially rectangular piece of flexible sheet material I8 preferably of plastic, affixed at its upper edge as by rivets I9 to the outer surface of said front wall I6 and positioned over anopening 2|] therein normally to seal the latter.

The oxygen mask also includes a reservoir 2|, preferably a deformable bag which may be of relatively thin plastic material, suspended by its neck 22 from the bottom wall 23 of the face piece I I and in communication with the interior of the latter through an opening 24 in said Wall 23. Although the neck of reservoir 2I may be affixed to the bottom wall 23 in any suitable manner, in the embodiment herein shown, the upper end of neck 22 is inwardly bent as at 25 and 3 Claims. (Cl. 128-205) clamped about the periphery of opening 24 by means of a grommet 26.

Associated with opening 24 is an inspiratory flutter valve 21 which also may comprise a substantially rectangular piece of flexible plastic sheet material 28 desirably afiixed by rivets 29 at one edge to the inner surface of wall 23 and normally resting on the periphery of grommet 26 to seal opening 24.

In order that a mixture of oxygen and air may be supplied to the reservoir 2I, a metering member 30 is desirably interposed in the oxygen supply line 3I between the conventional oxygen supply regulator of an oxygen tank (not shown) and the reservoir 2|. The metering member 30 is so designed that upon flow of oxygen therethrough, a quantity of air will also be sucked into the reservoir 2|.

In the illustrative embodiment herein shown, the metering member 30 desirably comprises a rigid inlet tube 32, preferably of plastic, which is aflixed at its inner end 33 in an inlet port 34 in the lower portion of reservoir 2| and extends outwardlyfrom the latter. Although the inlet tube 32 may be affixed to the reservoir in any suitable manner, as illustratively shown it desirably has an external annular flange 35 at such inner end 33 positioned in the reservoir and seated on the periphery of inlet port 34, said flange being desirably retained against said periphery as by cementing. In addition, a collar 36 may be provided, encompassing inlet tube 32 and having an external annular flange 31 at one end which clamps the periphery of inlet port 34 against flange 35. Flange 31 also may be cemented against the periphery of port 34 to ensure that an air tight seal is provided.

The inlet tube 32 desirably has a longitudinal bore 38 therethrough, of reduced diameter as at 39 at its outer end to define a restricted orifice. As shown in Fig. 2, an air inlet port M of relatively large diameter with respect to that of restricted orifice 39 is provided in the larger diameter portion of bore 38 adjacent the outlet end 42 of said orifice 39 at right angles thereto.

In order that the oxygen supply line 3I, which desirably is of any suitable resilient material such as rubber, may readily be afiixed to the outer end of inlet tube 32, the latter preferably is of reduced diameter as at 43 defining a shoulder 44 against which the end of the supply line 3| may abut. In this position, the air inlet port 4| will be open so that air may be sucked therein in the manner hereinafter described.

With the oxygen mask positioned on the face of the user, as oxygen under pressure is forced through supply line 3| and restricted orifice 39, it will emerge from the outlet 42 of the latter with relatively great velocity. As a result a Venturi action will be affected which will suck air through inlet port 4| into the enlarged portion of bore 38 and the mixture of air and oxygen will be forced through inlet port 35 into reservoir 2| to inflate the latter.

As the user breathes inwardly the resultant suction created in face piece M will cause the valve IT to close and the valve 21 to open so that the mixture of air and oxygen in the reservoir 2% may be drawn into the lungs. As a result of the withdrawal of such mixture of air and oxygen from reservoir 2|, the latter will deflate. As the user exhales, the pressure created in face piece I I will close valve 2'! to prevent such exhaled air from entering reservoir 2| and valve ll will open due to the pressure thereagainst, for exhaust of the exhaled air. With the closure of valve .21 the reservoir 2| will again expand due to the mixture of oxygen and air flowing therein.

In the event that the oxygen. mask is being used for therapy, and it is desired to supply substantially pureoxygen at the beginning of thetreat ment and a mixture of air and oxygen thereafter, it is a relatively simple matter for an attendant or the user himself to move the end of the supply line 3| past shoulder 44 on inlet tube 32 so that it covers air inlet port 4|. As a result, as oxygen floWs through line 3| and inlet tube 32 no air will be sucked in from the outside.

It is to be noted that in order to fill the lungs of the user a minimum volumetric quantity of either air or oxygen or a mixture thereof is required to be delivered to the reservoir H.

When the air inlet port 4| is open as above described, the volumetric quantity of ox gen required from the oxygen tank would be less than that required if the port 4| was closed, for the Venturi action created in inlet tube 32 will" also suck a quantity of air into the tube. to be mixed with the oxygen. Thus-for example, if the volumetric. quantity desired is 1Q liters per unit time, and it is desired to give a mixture of one-half oxygen and one-half air, theoxygen regulator is set to deliver 5 liters per unit time and the diameter of the restricted orifice 3'9 and an" inlet port 4| are made of such size that 5 liters of air will be sucked intoit'he tube.

If it is desired to deliver only oxygen to the user, with air inlet port M sealed, the oxygen regulator is set to deliver 110 liters of oxygen per unit time to give the desired volume.

As the oxygen mask above described is equipped with self-contained means. for affording a mixture of oxygen and air to the user, there no need for the bulky and relatively expensive meter generally used in conjunction with the oxygen regulator to provide a mixture of oxygen and air. Thus the mask maybe used to givesuch mixture with any conventional oxygen tank equipped with only a standard regulator.

A the oxygen mask and its self-contained metering device are formed from relatively inexpensive materials the mask may be discarded after having been used by a patient, thereby to eliminate the need for sterilization of the otherwise expensive mask generally used.

As many changes could be made in the above construction, and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope of the claims, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described. my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1, An oxygen mask comprising a face piece, a deformable reservoir connected to said face piece and in communication therewith, said reservoir having an inlet port, a substantially tubular inlet member having an annular lateral flange at one end positioned in the inlet port of said reservoir and resting on the inner periphery thereof, a collar encompassing a portion of said tubular member outside said reservoir to clamp the periphery of said inlet port against said flange, said inlet member having a longitudinal bore therethrough in communication at its aflixed end with said reservoir and of reduced diameter at the outer end thereof, said bore having an air inlet opening leading 'ierelnto at right angles thereto adjacent the inner end of the reduced diameter portion thereof.

2.. An oxygen mask comprising a face piece, having an opening in the front wall thereof, a strip of flexible material affixed to the outer surface of said front wall so as to cover said opening, a deformable reservoir having a neck affixed to the undersurface of said face piece and suspended therefrom, said reservoir bein in communication with said face piece, said reservoir having an inlet port near the lower end thereof, a substantially tubular inlet member, means clamping one end of said inlet member to said reservoir about the periphery of said inlet port, said inlet member extending outwardly from said reservoir, said inlet member having a longitudinal bore therethro-ugh in communication at its inner end with said inlet port in said reservoir and of reduced diameter at its outer end defining a restricted orifice having an outlet in said bore, said bore having an air inlet port leading thereinto adjacent the outlet end of said restricted orifice at substantially right angles to the latter, whereby upon how of gas through said restricted orifice, a Venturi action will be created to suck air through said air inlet port into said bore.

3. The combination set forth in claim 2 in which the neck of said reservoir is in communication With said face piece through an opening in the bottom wall thereof, a strip of flexible material being aiiixed to the inner surface of said face piece and extending over said opening to seal the latter.

EDMUND BARACI-I.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,693,730 Schroder Dec. 4, 1928 2,288,145 Welty Dec. 30, 1941 2,535,938 Lombard Dec. 26, 1950 

